Inadequacy

 

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

(Philippians 4:13 NLT)

Remember, as a Christian, you are never alone. Jesus Christ is the One who gives you His strength, you and Jesus are a majority, so there is no reason for you to feel inadequate. Allow Jesus to empower you today; just pray,

Lord, I thank You that in the midst of my limitations and frailty Your strength and power are perfected. 

I thank You for the sufficiency of Your grace which empowers me in times of weakness. 

Strengthen me in every area of my life. 

Now to You in Whom all things are possible, be all honour and glory. In Jesus’ Name I pray.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Inadequacy” © 2012 (18-Dec-12) revisited September 26, 2026

How can I swim upside down?

How can I swim upside down? I can't. I may try but I cannot swim upside down. Just ask my poor goldfish.

I believe that some of us are like this upside-down fish. We've accepted Jesus as our Saviour but are still attempting to live as the world lives and we find ourselves struggling to survive; labouring to breathe in an atmosphere to which we no longer belong and in which we can no longer "swim".

When you've reached that point of being upside down in the "tank", then it's time to get out of the tank; you're no longer the fish, you're the fisherman!

Jesus said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen…immediately left their nets and followed him. – Matthew 4:19, 20 (ERV)

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “How can I swim upside down?” ©2012 (25-Sept-2012) revisited September 25, 2026

Hiding your story

 

Every person on this earth has a story. Our lives relate our story. Your story, even though it is your own personal tale, is not meant to be hidden. Stories are for telling.

What has God done in your life? How has Jesus rescued you?

Your story has tremendous potential to expand the Kingdom of God but you’re hiding your story.

“I will sing the wondrous story Of the Christ Who died for me. How He left His home in glory For the cross of Calvary.”

God has given you this new life through Jesus Christ and that story must be told, after all, your story is a unique life message that He has given to you.

Time is short and people are dying to hear the story you have to tell, they’re dying to hear of the victory that Jesus has given to you over sin and death. Won’t you tell your story?

“I was lost, but Jesus found me, Found the sheep that went astray, Threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way.”

Yes, it’s true that your story may contain some things that you’d prefer to remain hidden, especially those things you never want to remember or speak about, but people need to hear.

People need to know of how wonderful it is to be in relationship with Jesus. Sharing your story with others gives glory to God.

“I was bruised, but Jesus healed me, Faint was I from many a fall, Sight was gone, and fears possessed me, But He freed me from them all.”

When you tell your story, as difficult as it may be, Jesus will bring to you and to others, through you, great healing, and renewal.

Jesus made your life new, and He wants to do the same for someone else too, if you’d only stop hiding your story.

Beloved, people are longing for a new life and if you continue hiding your story, it never gets told and you rob them of the greatest gift – a relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Won’t you tell your story?

“Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story Of the Christ Who died for me, Sing it with the saints in glory, Gathered by the crystal sea.”

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Hiding your story” © 2016 (20-Oct-2016) revisited September 24, 2026

Hymn: “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story” – words by Francis H. Pritchard (1886) & Ira Sankey (1887)

Your Unemployed God

God wants you in a position or a place where you need Him – that position where you recognize, without a doubt, that without Him you will never get through. That state of being where you finally come to the realization that with God all things are possible and the only thing you can repeat over and over again to yourself is:

“This is impossible for me, but not for God”

The truth is, God allows you to get to that place so that you will let Him “do” in your life. He longs for you to employ Him in every area, even the smallest of things. God yearns to be a part of your life, but you have to let Him in. Employ your God!

Stop trying to work everything out on your own, instead, seek the hand of God. Apostle Paul assures us in Romans 8 that it is God who works all things together for good for those who love Him, for those whom He has called according to His purpose. That’s you – you love God and are here for a purpose, His purpose; even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Listen, contrary to popular belief, God does not want you bursting your brain figuring out this and that, putting mismatched pieces of your life together like a crazy 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, in an effort to devise solutions to your problems. Only God can do that, and with ease.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:31-33, not to worry or be anxious about anything. He says that God knows your needs. He says to be concerned with God, His Kingdom, and what He requires of you, and God will provide you with everything else.

Employ God, utterly depend upon Him for your every need, whatever the need. David understood this completely, he said, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 (AMPC)

Beloved, if you have truly and sincerely accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then you belong to God; He is your God and His Word says that those who belong to Him, He will sustain:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” – Psalm 55:22 (HCSB)

Take God at His word – do not have Him as your unemployed God. Reach out to Him every single day, whether things are bad or good. He is waiting for your call.

 Amen †

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Your Unemployed God” © 2017 (January 27, 2017) revisited September 23, 2026

Prayer Focus: Pulling Down Strongholds – Time to be Bold

 

“I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds.”  – 2 Corinthians 10:4 (TLB)

Lord, I pray that You would set me free from anything that holds me other than You.

Deliver me from any memory of the past that has the power to control me or keep me trapped in its grip.

Teach me how to forgive, especially anyone who has hurt me, so that unforgiveness will not be able to hold me captive.

Set me free from everything that keeps me from being all that You created me to be.

Protect me from the plans of the enemy, and cause me to always remember that no-one, including the evil one, can affect the deliverance and healing You want to bring about in my life, after all, Your Word declares that no plan or purpose of Yours can be thwarted (Job 42:2).

Restore all that has been stolen from me until I am lacking no good thing.

I know that in Your presence there is healing and wholeness. Teach me how to live in Your presence so that I can be made and remain totally whole.

Lord, Your Word tells me that “though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 ESV). So, I know that I cannot use my own human plans and methods to win any battles but instead I use Your mighty weapons.

And today is my time to be bold and declare, in the name of Jesus,  

I pull down any stronghold the enemy has erected around me – the Lord sets me free and I am indeed free.

In the name of Jesus, I declare that for my sake,

God will not rest, until [my] righteousness blazes down like the sun and [my] salvation flames up like a torch (Isaiah 62:1 MSG); He will make the darkness bright before [me] and smooth and straighten out the road ahead. He will not forsake [me]. (Isaiah 42:16 TLB).

Lord, You have said in Your Word that he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued (Proverbs 28:26 AMP): I boldly declare that I will walk in wisdom and find full deliverance, in Jesus’ mighty name above all names, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, Amen†

 

“Prayer Focus: Pulling Down Strongholds – Time to be Bold” (Adapted from a prayer by Stormie Omartian)

Jesus wants to…

 

Matthew 8:2-3 (GNT), as it is written,

Then a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to Him, knelt down before Him, and said, “Sir, if You want to, You can make me clean”. Jesus reached out and touched him. “I do want to”, He answered. “Be clean!” At once the man was healed of his disease.

Beloved like this suffering man, you must never be in doubt of Jesus’ ability to heal you or whether He wants to. The man somehow knew that if Jesus wanted to, if it was His will, He could easily make him clean. The man demonstrated great humility by kneeling before the Lord and strong faith by what he said; his approach was both humble and bold.

This passage shows us that Jesus not only cares, He cares enough to reach out to us and touch us. His touch gives us a sense of comfort and calms our spirits – it’s reassuring. Jesus has compassion for us and is willing to attend to our condition whatever it may be.

Jesus wants to come into contact with us today. He wants to form a very personal relationship with every one of us; Jesus wants to be close to us, to literally touch us wherever we’re hurting – our pain and our affliction.

Jesus wants to fulfill our hearts’ desires because the desires of our hearts are His desires. Jesus has a heart for all of us and wants to bathe us in His love. When we realize the love of Jesus, something happens within us and at once we become clean. We no longer feel shunned or rejected but accepted and embraced by a love we’ve never known. We no longer focus on the condition of our skin, but we feel the cleansing that starts taking place from within.

When we kneel before Jesus, He reaches out, touches us, cleanses us and heals all our diseases because Jesus wants to.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Jesus wants to…” ©2013 (20-Mar-13) revisited September 21, 2026

Let your heart and mouth work together

Understand that God has already done everything – blessings, healing, deliverance…everything. He has already provided everything that you need – it’s already there, in the spirit. So how do you get it? Faith!

Faith is the bridge that allows what God has already provided to cross over from the spirit realm into the natural or physical realm. But, having faith is one thing, employing it is another.

Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. I assure you that whoever tells…and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

(Mark 11:22,23 GNT)

“A man will be satisfied with good by the words of his mouth…”

(Proverbs 12:14 HCSB)

Believe, Confess, and Receive! Let your heart and your mouth work together.

“…the word is very near you—it's within your mouth and heart for you to attain."

(Deuteronomy 30:14 ISV)

Beloved, when you truly believe and you confess, faith is released and you will receive.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Let your heart and mouth work together” © 2016 (06-Jun-2016) revisited September 20, 2026

Another Purpose for Healing: Something to Ponder

 

“And so Jesus went throughout Galilee. He taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of the Kingdom, and He healed people, ridding their bodies of sickness and disease.” – Matthew 4:23 (VOICE)

We all want to be healthy, after all, our health affects the quality of our lives; we all need to be healthy.

When I originally wrote this post, I’d been fighting a very miserable cold for two weeks. I was certainly not feeling well, and I didn’t like it.

That was just a cold, and yes, it was an annoyance, but it made me think about those people in Jesus’ day who were experiencing all sorts of very ill health for years and years, and about His healing miracles.

Throughout the Bible there’s irrefutable evidence that the Lord has always desired for all people to be in good health. According to Scripture, we know that Jesus performed many healing miracles but was His only purpose for doing so a desire for the people of the day to be healthy, or was there another purpose for healing?

Today I’d like to give you something to ponder.

In Jesus’ time it’s clear that sickness and disease were rampant. I imagine that several factors accounted for that, including unsanitary living conditions, poverty, and a lack of advancement in medical science.

Among the list of diseases, blindness was very prominent and we are told of one significant incidence of blindness from birth where the sole purpose of this healing was to display the works of God (John 9:1-3). I’d like to suggest that there was yet still another purpose for Jesus’ healing miracles.

You see, in those days the sick were considered impure and there were very stringent rules and restrictions pertaining to purity which were enforced by the priests in an effort to maintain social standing, economic and religious status, to the point where holiness was equated with purity. Everything was classified according to its degree of purity thereby creating rigid social boundaries.

All sick people were outcasts – untouchable nobodies who were debarred from partaking in every aspect of human society. This exile also applied to worship at the Temple, as the impure were not allowed to enter the Temple area. But Jesus had a different vision, He defied the rules when He went about “healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23 NIV).

Yes, Jesus had another purpose for healing. He did not want anyone excluded from religious life. Healing made all those people pure again, thereby restoring their status and bringing them out of exile and back into society.

Beloved, Jesus’ healing miracles were a bold and daring statement to the religious order as they proclaimed that anyone and everyone can be a part of the Kingdom of God.

“…heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom is right on your doorstep!’” – Luke 10:9 (MSG)

Amen†

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Another Purpose for Healing: Something to Ponder” © 2016 (13-10-2016) revisited September 19, 2026

Sift Away Satan, Sift Away

 

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat." – Luke 22:31 (NIV)

"Satan has asked"…

Many of us are of the belief that Satan has free reign to do whatever he wants to do on this earth, and for the most part, that may be true, however, it is clear from Luke 22:31, that when it comes to those in relationship with Jesus – born-again children of God – he must ask.

But from who does Satan seek permission "to sift all of you"?

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them." – Job 1:6, also 2:1 (JUB)

There are days and then there’s that one particular day when Satan, mixing in with the angels, presents himself before God to ask permission to sift you. Permission is required from God. And now that you know this, another question arises: Why, as a child of God, should God grant Satan permission to sift you?

You must keep in mind that Satan is prowling around the earth like a roaring lion looking for prey, ready to pounce at the mere sign of weakness (1 Peter 5:8). He is an astute strategist who studies his prey carefully. He is looking out for even the tiniest chink in your armour – any kind of emotional instability, angry outbursts, spiritual immaturity, pride, self-righteousness, greed, rage, bitterness; if you’re easily offended, hasty, emotionally wounded, and fearful, you’re ripe for the taking.

Satan’s greatest ally is fear. Fear gives Satan cause to move against you; he will use your fear as his compelling reason for proving his case against you before God, just as he did with Job.

When you operate in fear, you give Satan a legal right to put his hands on you (see Job 1:12; 2;6) and God is legally bound to remove His hedge of protection from around you. Satan couldn’t care less about your good attributes or your great works; he is keeping a keen eye out for those skeletons hidden in the back of your closet – your craven fears.

But cheer up because it’s not all bad news. You see, even though Satan has been given permission to sift, there are boundaries that he’s not allowed to cross. Remember, God always sets the boundaries.

As crafty, powerful and clever as Satan is, he is still a created being, just like the rest of us. Created by God, and therefore subordinate to God and, like the ocean, only able to venture as far as God permits (Job 2:6). As God’s own, Satan can only lift a finger against you under divine imposed limitations, and God will use these times of physical misery for a spiritual purpose.

Look at what Jesus told Peter right after he let him know about the sifting.

"But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." – Luke 22:32 (NIV)

God will use this time of sifting as a set up for His glory to be manifested in you and through you, to give you a testimony to share with others so that by it their faith might be strengthened. He will work all things together for your good and His glory (see Romans 8:28).

Beloved, God is the only one who determines the outcome of your life. He does not gamble with the lives of His children. He has already established a great plan for you.

Even if you have to suffer a little while, know that at the end of it all the genuineness of your faith will be proven and you’ll be as refined as fire refines gold, so, sift away Satan, sift away.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Sift Away Satan, Sift Away” © 2016 (07-Jun-2016) revisited September 18, 2026

God has set Boundaries

 

God has set boundaries in nature and also for us, His children. For instance, in Jeremiah 5:22 (NLT) we read,

“I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.”

God has established clear boundaries that are beneficial to us and are not, as some erroneously believe, restrictions to our freedom. In fact, boundaries create a refuge, which, if not violated, afford us the freedom of being as “naked” and unashamed as Adam and Eve once were in the Garden.

“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden… Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” – Genesis 2:15, 25 (NLT)

God’s boundaries help us stay within His will: “…yet not My will but Yours be done.” (ref. Luke 22:42).

God provides boundaries of times and seasons, for all of His creation: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

God has set boundaries throughout His Word which give us a comprehensive perspective of the relationship between God and us. Those boundaries define who we are and allow us to see God as He really is.

With these boundaries in place, we are able to gain an understanding of the unity and oneness we are to have with God so that we may experience all the intimacy that is possible in our relationship with Him.

God has set boundaries for us because He knows the dangers of living without them. When God set a boundary for Satan concerning Job it was to let him know that he may go this far but no farther.

“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” – Job 2:6 (NIV)

God’s boundaries are very important if we are to live as He intends for us to live and violating them keeps us away from experiencing His best.

Beloved, God loves you and it is out of His love that He sets boundaries. God wants you to have the promised abundant life and has set boundaries in order to protect and preserve the best He has for you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “God has set Boundaries”  © 2013 (20-Jun-13) revisited September 17, 2026

Honest Thomas

 

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” – John 20:25 (NIV)

This is what Thomas said to the other disciples after they told him that they had seen Jesus. You see, after His resurrection, Jesus had appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was absent. All he knew for sure was that Jesus had been arrested, sentenced, crucified, died and was buried, and even though he would have heard Jesus speak of His death and subsequent resurrection...

“but now I am going to him who sent me”…Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” – John 16:5 & 16 (NIV)

...we are told that some of the disciples were left confused by what Jesus said so, though Thomas isn’t mentioned, it’s safe to assume that he might have been in the “some” group.

At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” – John 16:17 (NIV)

After three years of discipleship, they still didn’t quite understand. A few chapters before this in John 14 Jesus, after giving them yet another heads up of His departure says, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” (v 4), then Thomas says to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (v 5).

Thomas’ use of the pronoun “we” indicates that he was speaking on behalf of all the disciples. The disciples were left confused by what Jesus said; Thomas was not the only one in doubt.

The disciples, upon seeing the resurrected Jesus worshiped him; but some doubted (Matthew 28:17).

Mark 16:14,

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

In his Gospel account, Luke tells of two disciples who encounter Jesus on their way to Emmaus; the two immediately return to Jerusalem to tell the others of their incredible reunion,

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them…He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? – Luke 24:36 & 38 (NIV)

Thomas was not the only one in doubt so, why has he been singled out? Why is he referred to as “Doubting Thomas”?

Thomas may have doubted but he also spoke up while everyone else remained silent. Thomas was honest; he did not sit by murmuring and wondering, he did not stand around smiling and pretending that he wasn’t in doubt or confused or lost, he spoke…

“we don’t know where…we don’t know the way…”

“unless I see…and put…I will not believe”

Who else was honest about how they were feeling? Which one of the other disciples was honest enough to voice their confusion, their doubt, their trepidation?

After years of following his beloved Rabbi, not even Peter was completely confident, this was demonstrated in his attempt to stop Jesus’ arrest – he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, causing Jesus to say,

“Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” – John 18:11 (NIV)

Beloved, Thomas did not hide his uncertainty, the way that so many people, even those in church, tend to do.

Admitting your doubt is not a sign of weakness; revealing your uncertainty is not a character flaw; letting others know that you just don’t get it, does not mean that you are dumb. It’s better to express your lack of understanding, rather than existing in pretence.

Be like Thomas, be honest about your level of spiritual understanding; speak up when you’re confused; admit that you’re lost when something just doesn’t click; ask questions when you have doubts.

Thomas was honest and perhaps he should have been nicknamed “Honest Thomas” instead.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Honest Thomas” © 2026 September 15, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Present Tense

 

In Luke 19:1-10, we’re told of a guy named Zacchaeus who was the chief tax collector in Jericho. Keep in mind that tax collectors did not have a good reputation and were hated so, Zacchaeus, with oversight over other tax collectors, was even more hated (v 2 EXB).

The story goes…

Jesus was coming into town and Zacchaeus, unable to see above the crowd because he was short, climbed a sycamore tree. Jesus stops at the tree, looks up at Zacchaeus and says,

“Zacchaeus, hurry! Come down! I must stay at your house today.” (v 5 ERV)

Elated to have Jesus stay at his home, Zacchaeus hurried down from his lofty perch, much to the disdain of the townsfolk, who at that point grumbled and indignantly complained, He has gone in to be the guest of and lodge with a man who is devoted to sin and preeminently a sinner (v 7 AMPC).

Then verse 8 in the ESV recounts,

And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 

In most other translations of the bible, this verse records Zacchaeus’ words in the future tense, as in “I will give” and “I will repay” or “I will give back” but here it’s in the present tense. How come, you may be wondering.

Well, I recently learnt that the original Greek text was written in the present tense. Zacchaeus was not telling Jesus what he will do, he was letting Jesus know what he already does; he already gives half of his goods to the poor and he already restores to anyone whom he may have over charged, four times the amount.

As far as first century Jews were concerned, tax collectors were corrupt agents for the enemy, Rome; they were seen solely as doing Rome’s bidding and therefore incapable of performing good deeds.

But Zacchaeus was different, yet, despite his righteousness, the people, so blinded by the stereotypical, were unable to see the good that he was doing. In their minds, a sinful tax collector could never be doing good works; the two just did not correlate.

Now, I must admit that for years I too saw Zacchaeus as a terrible person, a corrupt tax collector who cheated people out of their hard-earned money, the reason being, that has always been the picture of Zacchaeus that was painted by every Sunday school teacher, from every pulpit and in every bible study session.

It was Zacchaeus who had a lesson to learn, not so? Or maybe, just maybe, Zacchaeus has been the unwitting fall guy all this time and it’s us – the grumblers and complainers, the persons in the crowd, the townsfolk, the judgmental, the label stampers, the ones blinded by their own perceptions and misled by their own assumptions – for whom the lesson is meant.

Like the people in Jericho, we place labels on persons based on our own perceptions and assumptions. Sometimes we draw conclusions about others solely on hearsay and never take the time to see who the person really is for ourselves.

There was a gospel artiste with whom I was acquainted, she has a beautiful voice but because she did not dress in the way some Christians felt she should, throughout her performance, those persons became so fixated on what she was wearing, that their grumbling and indignant complaining caused them to not hear a word she sang.

I must add that she’s European and it was not anything indecent, some people simply had a problem with her style.

Even though the Word warns us about judging others (see Matthew 7:1-2), we all do it; we are no better than the people of Jericho.

Despised by the people of Jericho because of his profession, Zacchaeus must have felt compelled to confess to Jesus.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

And Jesus’ response to him was so lovely.

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (v 9-10 NRSVUE)

Notice, Jesus was not speaking to Zacchaeus, He was talking to the crowd, the neighbours, the townsfolk, to you and to me. We are constantly looking at the speck of dust in others’ eyes and not seeing the lamppost in our own eyes.

We wrongfully judge others based on a variety of things including their profession. Oh, you don’t? You don’t believe that all politicians are corrupt? That's the impression that many persons hold but it's a case of a few tainting the whole. Moving right along…

Yes, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, but he was a tax collector whose heart was in the right place. He did not just repay for his wrongdoing, he repaid four times as much. Zacchaeus’ generosity and grace were not public knowledge before his encounter with Jesus. Jesus let the people know that Zacchaeus was not who they thought he was, for he, too, is a son of Abraham.

Beloved, the person you deem unworthy, he too is a son of Abraham; that girl you disapprove of, she too is a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus wasn’t going to give, he was already giving; he was not making a promise to repay, he was already giving back.

And, Jesus’ promise of salvation is not lying in wait for some time in the future, it’s for today. Salvation comes to you today, right now, it’s all in the present tense.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “In the Present Tense” © 2026 September 14, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Ceaseless Praying

 

The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, Never stop praying.

Now, there are some religious orders that have taken up the mandate to never stop praying; they maintain their vow of ceaseless praying in various ways – some follow a 24-hour shift system where members are assigned to pray at different times throughout the day and night.

But what about the rest of us? Apostle Paul goes on to say that this is how God wants us to live in Christ Jesus. In other words, it is God’s will that believers engage in ceaseless praying.

Some of you, by now, must be wondering how to pray without ceasing with the busy schedule that you have; you want to do what God wants you to do but you just can’t see how you can fit it into the daily grind.

I faced the same “conundrum” years ago. Listen, I had my prayer-time all worked out until Paul messed it up in his letter to the Thessalonians. I just could not fathom how I could accomplish this task. And that was my problem right there – I was seeing Paul’s call for ceaseless praying as yet another task to slot into an already over-burdened to-do list.

Praying is not a task and should never be considered as such. Praying is an incredible privilege – we get to pray; we get to be in communication with God; we get to have conversations with God – it’s truly an honour to be in touch with God.

God has made Himself available to you and me all day, every day and that is the beauty involved in ceaseless praying. Ceaseless praying is not about squeezing prayer into your busy life. Ceaseless praying is about communing with God.

To never stop praying has everything to do with having a keen and constant awareness of God’s presence. It’s knowing that God is always present, it’s maintaining connectivity to Him and being thankful in all circumstances.

The truth is, most days life is demanding and can get difficult; challenges, more often than not, come in waves so, whose wave frequency are you going to tune into?

Remember, God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9) and the more you sensitize yourself to His presence, not just around you but inside you, the more you would become aware of the immutable undercurrent of connection that exists between you and your Creator.

Beloved, this is what authentic union with Jesus Christ “feels” like – living life ceaselessly praying even if no words are spoken, even when you’re still and knowing amid the noise of busyness, even if all you can murmur is “thank You” or whisper, “Praise God”.

To engage in ceaseless praying is not an unreasonable directive but a loving reminder to stay connected to God who is for you, with you and always present.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Ceaseless Praying” © 2026 September 13, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

What about the word “satan”?

We all know Satan as the adversary of God and the accuser of us humans, but did you know that the word “satan”, in Hebrew, is also a verb? Perhaps you already knew this, or you might only be familiar with the word “satan” as a noun.

You see, our English translation almost always loses the depth of meaning of the original text.  With the definite article prefixed, satan becomes the proper noun that we are accustomed using, however, without the article, the word is used in a general sense to denote someone who opposes or accuses or slanders.

When in Psalm 38:20 we read, Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good, here “accuse” is “satan” as a verb.

When in Numbers 22:22 we read, God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary, here, the angel who stood in Balaam’s way, “his adversary” is “satan” as a noun.

When in 1 Kings 5:4, Solomon told Hiram that he had no adversary who opposed him, it’s “satan” as a noun and a verb.

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil confronting me. (AMPC)

The Satan is a council, title or office and not a name; it’s “hassatan” or “ha-satan” in Hebrew. It was “ha-satan”, the satan, that appeared before God to accuse Job

One day the angels [sons of God] came to show themselves [stand] before the Lord, and Satan [the Satan; means “the Accuser” or “the Adversary”; either the Devil or a member of God’s heavenly court] was with them. – Job 1:6 (EXB)

And, when Jesus, in Mark 8:33, rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan!”, He was referring to Peter as one who was opposing Him and not as one possessed by Satan, who is identified with the devil.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years – Revelation 20:2 (NRSVUE)

Peter was attempting to stand in Jesus’ way and the prophecy of the cross. Jesus was in effect telling Peter to get out of His way. Too often, like Peter, we attempt to get in the way of what God is doing.

With our perpetual need to control and belief that we know what’s best, we assume the role of the satan, when we become obstacles in everyone’s way (2 Corinthians 6:3), when we are stumbling blocks or hindrances to our brothers' and sisters' progress (Romans 14:13) and when we attempt to obstruct God’s plan (Acts 5:38-39).

When we accuse the brethren, oppose for opposing sake, use our mouths to slander fellow believers and become their adversaries, we satan others.

Beloved, know that even though the word “satan” has long been attributed to the evil one, that was never the original intention. Know that a believer can be a satan, depending on his or her actions. Even David, in 1 Samuel 29:4-5 was feared to become an adversary.

There’s so much more that can be unpacked regarding the word “satan” so, I encourage you to dig deeper for yourself.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “What about the word “satan”?” © 2026 September 12, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

A word to the weary

[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught]. – Isaiah 50:4 (AMPC)

Here, the prophet Isaiah recorded the words of Jesus as the Servant of God. As such, Jesus did not speak anything that did not come from God, the Father. In John’s Gospel, chapter twelve verse forty-nine, Jesus lets us know this when He said,

I have not spoken on My own. Instead, the Father who sent Me told Me what I should say and how I should say it. (GW)

What an example for us to follow if we are serious about our service to God and His children: allowing God to teach us what to say and when to say it; to put His words in our mouths so that we too may “speak a word in season” to those who are weary. Being in communion with God every morning, listening to His wise counsel and obeying it will afford us this privilege. No longer shall we stand by speechless, unable to offer not even one word as weary people cross our paths.

Speaking words in due season to each other keeps us from growing weary…

In this life, we’ll all be faced with problems and situations of one kind or another that can wear us out but today beloved, I want you to know that there is joy and comfort to be found, not in your circumstances or your position, but joy and comfort are found in Christ Jesus. His joy strengthens you (see Nehemiah 8:10), and only He can give you the rest you long for (see Matthew 11:28).

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “A word to the weary” © 2016 (18-Oct-2016) revisited September 11, 2026

Celebrating God’s Faithfulness; Claiming God’s Future

 

When you think of someone who is faithful, what kind of person do you imagine?

Well, I think of someone I can trust; rely on; depend on…someone who does what she says she’s going to do, a person who always keeps his promises.

We are to think the same of God when we read of His faithfulness, but, with God there is still so much more because being faithful is not something He does, it’s Who He is; it is His character, it is His nature.

Do you realize that Love is the driving force of faithfulness? If you think about it for just a moment, you’d see that without love no-one can be faithful. It is the great love that God has for you and me, and for His Son, Jesus Christ, that allows Him to remain faithful.

In Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he let him know that God remains faithful because He cannot disown Himself.

This means that God cannot deny Himself, is bound by who He is, cannot contradict Himself, and therefore must be true to every facet of His character. In other words, God, who is Love, is also abounding in Faithfulness.

Understand also, that contained within the very Fruit of God’s Spirit is the attribute of Faithfulness, therefore Faithfulness, like Love, is an inherent part of God, so, when it comes to God, you cannot divorce one from the other.

God doesn’t suddenly decide that He doesn’t love something or someone. He doesn’t change His mind about His faithfulness based on trends or fashions or how He may feel from one minute to the next. God is steady, steadfast and unchanging.

Unlike people who will disappoint you or change their minds, God will always be there for you. His love for you will always be constant and His faithfulness toward you is far reaching.

Psalm 57 tells us that God’s faithfulness reaches to the roof of heaven. That’s incredible! Too often, we only look for God’s demonstration of faithfulness in certain ways and don’t recognize that God’s faithfulness is all around us, after all, it is His faithfulness that’s holding all of creation together.

Now that’s cause for celebration!

Believe me when I tell you that the moment you begin to truly realize how trustworthy God is, your perspective of life will change.

As you realize that He will always be there for you, that He’ll never let you go or let you down, you’ll find comfort in even the worst situations because you’ll know for sure that God really loves you in an amazing way and that will never change.

God thinks you’re amazing and has planned out your destiny, and not any old destiny but God has taken His time to design a good plan; He hasn’t left it up to you since He wants to ensure that your future turns out great.

In Jeremiah 29, verse 11(MSG), God Himself says, “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

What’s the future you hope for? Nobody hopes for a lousy messed up future. I know I’m not and I’m quite sure you’re not.

Imagine you’re reading a book. Now, you don’t go helter skelter, from one page to another, you’d read one page then move on to the next. Not so? And when you’re on the page you’re reading, that’s the page you’re seeing, right?

Well, that’s how your life is; you can only see one page at a time, but God, the Author of your book, your life, knows every word He’s written on every page of your life, even those things that haven’t yet happened in your sight, He is fully aware of.

Everything that God has planned for your future is for your eternal benefit. He intends for you to have a flourishing finish. And the awesome thing about God is that He watches over His word to perform it, so that you can confidently claim it.

Yes, it is that simple…remember God’s faithfulness, He is not like man, He does not lie…He won’t say something and not follow through, He will never make a promise and not act on it…all you have to do is take God at His word, believe Him, trust that, even if it doesn’t seem that way right now, He has already designed a brilliant future for you, and all you have to do now is claim God’s future.

Beloved, today, I urge you to be authentic in your commitment to God. God loves you immeasurably more than you can ever think or imagine, and it is out of this unspeakable passion that God is faithful to you and has lovingly created you with a complete plan for your best life ever.

So, I encourage you to celebrate God’s faithfulness and boldly claim God’s future, for they are both yours, an inheritance through Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Saviour.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness; Claiming God’s Future” © 2017 (27-May-2017) revisited September 10, 2017

Blessed Assurance

 

What is that state of being that endures beyond the trials of life? That state of being that eclipses the emotions? That state of being that allows us to know that everything is alright despite all appearances to the contrary?

It is that state of peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and is our inheritance from our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you.” – John 14:27 (AMPC)

The world can offer us nothing like this. This peace is not sentimental but is able to surpass the limitations of joy and sorrow, hope and despair. It has the capacity to garrison and mount guard over our hearts and minds.

Jesus, on the day of His resurrection, said to His disciples, “Peace to you!” – John 20:21 (AMPC), after which He breathed the Holy Spirit into them (v 22).

Peace is the Blessed Assurance of the Divine presence forever deep within us (1 John 4:13); the Divine indwelling that is active in our souls, always directing us to a unique place of calm in the midst of crises.

Beloved,

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His Kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (AMPC)

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Blessed Assurance” © 2013 (7-Feb-13) revisited September 9, 2026

The Comforter

 

“and I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name…” – John 14:16…26 (JUB)

During His time on earth, Jesus was comforter to His disciples, but the time had come for Him to depart, to go back to the Father. At His announcement, the disciples were overcome by sadness as they contemplated what a future without Jesus would mean – loneliness, helplessness, desolation, victimization.

John 14:16 and 26 reveal to us that Jesus, very aware of the great sorrow that filled their hearts, promised them “another Comforter”, the Holy Spirit. Jesus assures them that He was not about to leave them comfortless; they would not be left alone, and Another, just as Divine as He is Divine, would take His place.

This promise of “another Comforter” was not for the disciples of that time only but is for every single believer, then, now, and in the time to come.

As Comforter, the Holy Spirit is not just called to our side, but when we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour – born again from above – abides within us. Therefore, as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, the Comforter is our constant companion, ever present, ready and prepared to stand by us and take our part in everything in which we require consolation and help.

Beloved, today, determine to remember that you have an ever-present Comforter with you when troubles arise, in times of sadness, dejection, despair, loneliness, helplessness, and fear.

 

Let us pray,

Father, I thank You for the indescribable gift of Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Who never leaves my side. 

I thank You for this divine Comforter, the promise of all promises, abiding within me to bring me comfort in every area of my life. 

Blessed Spirit, my Comforter, You are here and so I am never alone. Reveal to me this day, the deep and glorious things about my Lord Jesus, things that fill my heart with comfort, joy, peace, and rest. 

I thank You divine Comforter for Your presence abiding in me and Your manifesting power working in me, as I pray in the Name of my Lord Jesus, now and forever more.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Comforter” © 2013 (20-Sep-13) revisited September 8, 2026

My Hope

 

 To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise. There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. (Hebrews 6:17-18 GNT)

Let us pray…

 

Lord, I believe with complete confidence that Your perfect plan for me will eventually happen – this is my hope, Lord.

Today, I accept the fact that You are in control, in good times and bad and I choose to praise You for the “what” even though I do not understand the “why”.

Lord, Your Word says that we are to “hold firmly to the hope placed before us” and that is what I am doing now. I am holding on firmly to the hope which You, throughout Your Word, have promised.

You never lie, so I believe that it is safe and sure.

Now to You Lord Who promised us hope even before the ages began, be all praise, honour and majesty, in the Name of Your Son and in the power of His Name.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “My Hope” © 2012 (28 Dec 2012) revisited September 7, 2026

Sword or Plowshare?

 

Beating Sword into Plowshare Statue at the U.N.

“…beat your swords into plowshares…Nation will not take up sword against nation…”

This particular phrase is found in Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3. What does it mean and how does it relate to us?

We know that swords are tools of warfare, while plowshares are tools used for preparing the ground for planting; a plowshare actually cuts loose the hard top layer of the soil.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians tells us that we are to “Take… the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God” to defend ourselves against our spiritual enemy (6:17).

So, from what we now know, it’s clear to see that we are not to use the Word of God as a weapon of warfare against each other but rather we are to take God’s Word and use it to soften the hearts of our fellowmen – to cut away the hardness of their hearts in order for it to yield – so that the Word may be planted.

When we use the Word as an instrument of condemnation, as we so often do, we create conflict in the hearts of others, and they remain conscious of their sin.

When we use the Word as an instrument of grace, we bring a sense of community and peace in the hearts of others and Jesus Christ is revealed, for they begin to “…walk in the light of the Lord” (ref. Isaiah 2:5).

Are you using the Word of God as Sword or Plowshare?

Beloved, God wants us all to “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19), in so doing God’s truth is illuminated in our hearts.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Sword or Plowshare?” © 2014 (6-May-14) revisited September 6, 2026

Jesus creates the sense of need

 

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. For my gift will become a spring in the man himself, welling up into eternal life.” – John 4:13-14 (Phillips)

Recently, a friend of mine took up the challenge to drink one gallon of water a day for thirty days. That’s a lot of water, but I’m sure that on day thirty-one she still became thirsty. No matter how much water you drink – pipe borne, bottled, sparkling, or filtered – you “will be thirsty again”.

That’s what Jesus impressed upon the woman at Jacob’s well. All the water that man can give you, from the deepest dug well, you’ll be thirsty again and again but He had water to give that would “become a spring” in her, continually bubbling like a flowing fountain. She’d never be thirsty again.

Intrigued, the woman knew that was the water she wanted, that was the water she needed. Jesus had created in her the sense of need.

The woman said, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may stop being thirsty—and not have to come here to draw water anymore!” – John 4:15 (Phillips)

Oh, what a turn of events! She was now asking Him for water – Jacob gave the well through long and hard labour (John 4:12) but drinking from it, one will be thirsty again. This is not the water that Jesus offers. His water is no ordinary water; Jesus has a hidden source of spiritual water which He wants to give to you.

This was now Jesus’ third statement, and still the woman hadn’t seen the spiritual meaning in what Jesus was saying to her. Like the ones on the Emmaus Road (see Luke 24:13-35), she too was slow to recognize that she was in the midst of a divine encounter, but that was about to change.

The beginning of the Samaritan woman’s transformation and ours starts with the realization that we are desperately in need of something so much greater than what our long and hard labour can accomplish.

Beloved, when we realize that nothing and no-one but Jesus can satisfy that sense of need in us, is when we realize our need for Jesus and cry out, “give me that water!” (John 4:15 GNT).

 

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Jesus creates the sense of need” © 2017 (March 21, 2017) revisited September 5, 2026

Quenching Your Spiritual Dehydration

 

Are you so dehydrated that even your bones feel dried up? This is no normal dry spell where a drink of cold water quenches your thirst. You’ve tried everything but nothing you do is satisfying this dryness that you’re feeling. That’s because your thirst is not physical but spiritual.

You’re in a spiritual drought, in the middle of a dry-bones valley with no hope of quenching your spiritual dehydration.

“…the middle of a valley; it was full of bones…and they were very dry.” (Ezekiel 37:1, 2 NRSVUE)

Right now, even though all you see around you is desert, know that there is hope, for God has provided a source of full and everlasting satisfaction for your spiritual dehydration.

El Yeso Reservoir Chile

Only God can make springs gush forth in the valleys (Psalm 104:10); only God can turn a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water (Psalm 107:35 NRSVUE) and to anyone who is thirsty, it is only God who gives water as a gift from the spring of the water of life (Revelation 21:6).

This God-given spring is a spring that never runs dry. This never-ending flow of rehydration is available to whosoever believes in His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself tells us of this wonderful thirst-quenching spring of water when He said, “…those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14 NRSVUE).

Also, in John 7:37-39 we read, “…Jesus…cried out, Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me, and let the one who believes in Me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive…” (NRSVUE)

This precious water is the Holy Spirit promised to anyone who believes. The indwelling Spirit of God is the source of this spring of everlasting satisfaction. Only He can quench your spiritual dehydration.

Beloved, how wonderful it is to have this bubbling spring of water within you that completely satisfies even to the bone.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Quenching Your Spiritual Dehydration” © 2014 (30-May-14) revisited September 4, 2026